Loyalty
by Lady Alamia
Summary: She heard screaming. Or was it just the wind? ... She was sure that by now someone must have found out... A short story about the Hufflepuff Hannah Abbott
1. Default Chapter

She heard screaming. Or was it just the wind? No, it was definitely someone screaming. The screaming seemed to come from Hogwarts as the wind was blowing from that direction. She was sure that by now someone must have found out. There was no sign of surprise, fear or regret in her face. Nothing at all. It was just a stiff mask. The same mask that her face has had every time she had been thinking about her plan. That mask looked like the face of a porcelain doll. Only that her eyes were moving from time to time without focusing anything.   
  
***   
  
Hannah Abbott was sitting at the lake. The wind became colder and stronger every minute and the dark clouds were covering almost the whole sky. It would soon begin to rain but she did not care. The wind was playing with her wavy blonde hair and her brown eyes slowly filled with tears.   
  
She had taken her mother's robes and taken off that Slytherin badge. It had not been difficult. She had put it on her robes instead of the Hufflepuff badge.   
  
If anyone had seen her, they would think it had been a Slytherin. Who would even think about a Hufflepuff doing something like that?   
  
Her mother had been disappointed when Hannah had sent her an owl in her first year, telling her that she had been sorted into Hufflepuff. She blamed her husband's blood for influencing her daughter, making Hannah what she was.   
  
But Hannah had now shown her mother that there was more than just that.   
  
***   
  
The image of Cedric Diggory had never left her. He was there. In her dreams, even during daytime. He was close to her, telling her that his death had to be revenged. She was a Hufflepuff after all! And Hufflepuffs are loyal. Cedric had asked her for her loyalty at least a thousand times. And now, she had finally proven that she was a real Hufflepuff.   
  
A tear rolled down her face. It was a tear of anger. Why did he have to go? He has been an innocent. He had never done anything wrong. And he should have won that Tournament and shown the rest of Hogwarts that Hufflepuff was worth being noticed.   
  
She wiped away the tear and gave another look at the castle. All of its rooms were brightly enlightened. And the many shadows coming from inside of the castle indicated a lot of people walking up and down inside. She sighed.   
  
She was probably the only person being outside right now. It was a cold and unfriendly day and there was no point in being here. But Hannah liked days like that. The lake looked so peaceful. It started to rain now... as if heaven was crying as well.   
  
The Slytherin badge on her robes had already been removed and thrown into the lake. Nobody would ever see it.   
  
She sighed one more time before she got up and went back.   
  
***   
  
Hannah entered the castle and saw several teachers walking into the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room. Yes, the Common Room. It had been really easy to find out the password. Neville had always had problems remembering them and she had acted interested in helping him to improve his memory. That way, she had been able to get a glance at the current password without him even noticing it.   
  
Some Gryffindors were running through the hall, not knowing where to go. They had all been told to leave the Common Room. Some were crying. It reminded her of her own house. All those students that had been crying at the end of last term.   
  
Although there were people in every single corner of the castle, Hannah thought that it was extremely quiet. Cedric had finally stopped talking to her. He had finally found his peace. He had left forever as soon as he had closed his eyes forever as well. He was free.   
  
Hannah had to suppress a smile. That was not appropriate - now that everybody was panicking. She heard some students mentioning You-Know-Who. They compared her action with him. She did not feel flattered, though. You-Know-Who did cruel things without a reason. Her reason, in contrast, had only been to prove her loyalty, to help a friend find his peace, to act like a Hufflepuff has to act.   
  
After Cedric's death, her whole house had been really sad. Everyone had been mourning him. Some people had even openly blamed Harry Potter for his death. A lot of them did not want to believe that You-Know-Who might have really returned. She had even heard the rumour that Harry had murdered Cedric just because he had wanted to win the Tournament.   
  
Hannah did not know the truth. But she knew that someone had to avouch for his death. Someone had to pay for it.   
  
Cedric had been one of the most popular students in her house. He had been loved by so many of the Hufflepuffs and Hannah was no exception. She had loved him like an older brother. And now he was gone. It still hurt to see his image, even if it was only in her own mind. It had hurt to hear his voice telling her to help him. She could still see his body laying on the ground when Harry had returned with him.   
  
Hannah turned round to go to her Common Room. She was now crying. The tears kept falling down onto her wet robes. Nobody looked at her, nobody noticed her. But she noticed that she was trembling. The unfriendly weather outside had made her feel cold. Everything started to spin. All the faces of the passing students seemed to approach her. Her view became blurry.   
  
Hannah collapsed.   
  
And Harry Potter was dead. 


	2. Loyalty 02

The students were already sitting at their House tables when the new first years entered. The sky was dark and clear. Every little star could be seen.  
  
The first years went up to the stool in front of the teacher's table. Most of them were curiously looking around.  
  
Julius was one of them. Unlike the others, he avoided looking around. His eyes were now fixed on the teacher who had just placed the stool with the Sorting Hat in front of them. He already knew her. She had talked to his parents once.  
  
In some minutes, he would know which house he would be in.  
  
"Doesn't this boy just look like...?" Julius did not hear any more. He looked at the girls whispering. One had just pointed at him.  
  
"Julius!"  
  
Julius searched for the origin of the voice and found it at one of the tables. He recognized her. She looked awful, completely pale and a lot thinner than she had been the last time he had seen her.  
  
Her hair was carelessly tied together into a ponytail. But she smiled at him and he returned the smile weakly and lifted an arm to wave at her.  
  
All the time he had continued walking with the others to the end of the room and now he came to stand waiting for their names to be announced.  
  
After some minutes, he heard his, walked up and sat down on the stool. He knew about the houses. It was not much but he knew where he did not want to be sorted into.  
  
"I see you don't want to become a Hufflepuff? Rest assured, I never thought about sorting you into that house. You would best be in RAVENCLAW."  
  
As usual, the only thing the Sorting Hat shouted out loud was the house itself. Nobody knew he did not want to become a Hufflepuff.  
  
He got up and walked to his table. They were applauding like they always did when one of the first years was announced a Ravenclaw. For him, it still seemed as if the clapping was not as cheerful as it had been for the others.  
  
One after another, all the students got sorted and the feast finally began. Julius found himself talking to his new house mates and he even smiled sometimes.  
  
Most of the older students, however, avoided looking at him. He could only sense their gazes on his back.  
  
It was worst when he entered the Great Hall for the meals. It was barely noticeable but the room became more quiet and heads turned towards him as soon as he had passed.  
  
The owl post came directly after breakfast. Julius knew he would not get any. He never did. His parents had not wanted him to come here and did not want him to have anything to do with magic at all.  
  
He still tried to lead a normal life at Hogwarts but felt most comfortable studying on his own in the library. Soon, everybody thought him to be a smart but truly introverted young wizard who would best be left alone.  
  
Julius also tried to avoid the Common Room if it was not for talking to some of his fellow first years.  
  
One day, he had forgotten one of his books and went back to the couch in a corner of the Common Room where he had left it. When he was close enough to take it he saw one of the older Ravenclaw girls lying on the couch. Julius had not seen her before and wanted to leave without getting the book. As soon as he had turned around, she called his name. He stood still for a second and then slowly turned towards her. She had gotten up and held his book in her hand.  
  
For the first time, she looked directly into his eyes and said with a calm voice, "It hurts so much to see you."  
  
With that, she gave Julius the book and walked quietly to her dorm. He was used to all different kinds of behaviour towards him and he knew that most of them felt the same way but she was the first one to articulate it and say it right into his face.  
  
It remained the only time she would ever talk to him. When he met her again the next day both acted as if nothing had ever happened.  
  
If Julius had to choose one thing he had learned at Hogwarts, it would be to act as if nothing had happened.  
  
But he slowly began to feel comfortable. And a few days before Christmas he even got an owl from his parents asking him to come home for the holidays.  
  
He had just come back from erasing his name from the list of the students who would stay at Hogwarts over Christmas when he saw the girl who had shouted his name before the Sorting Ceremony. She looked horrified.  
  
Just around the corner, he almost ran into a friend of his who told him what had just happened.  
  
You-Know-Who had killed Harry Potter - right here in Hogwarts.  
  
He wandered about the hallways without knowing what to do or even where to go. The whole castle seemed to be in panic and although everyone had the order to go back to their Common Rooms - with the exception of the Gryffindors who had to gather in the Great Hall - the hallways were full of students just crying or discussing what had just happened.  
  
Harry Potter! The only one Julius had thought capable of defeating You-Know-Who eventually.  
  
He went to his Common Room and started packing his trunk. At least, he would return home. 


	3. Loyalty 03

Finally, another year at Hogwarts had started. Cho had just returned from Greece where her mother had taken her for a bit of relaxation.  
  
Now, Cho was listening to some of her friends talking, but only half-heartedly. Instead, she was really observing the Great Hall. There was Harry Potter, sitting next to his two friends. She remembered him asking her out for the Yule Ball.  
  
And that Malfoy and his friends obviously slandering about the trio.  
  
Then there was silence.  
  
And the first years entered. Some older brothers and sisters applauded and cheered for their younger siblings.  
  
Cho liked to look at them and try to sort them into the Houses. Of course, she knew that it was not fair to decide only by their looks. But it was just for fun, nothing serious. And besides, her success rate was not that bad. At least, she seemed to have an eye for who would be sorted into Slytherin.  
  
The girl that was now sitting on the stool looked intimidated. Cho would have guessed Hufflepuff but she was sorted into Gryffindor.  
  
She looked at the other first years still standing in front of the stool. Most of them looked petrified. Except for a blonde girl towards the left of the crowd. She had a bit of what seemed to be a triumphant smile. That would certainly be a new Slytherin.  
  
And this boy over there.  
  
Her thoughts began to race. He looked so much like Cedric.  
  
Her head started to ache. All those memories that she had carefully pushed to the back of her mind came back to her now.  
  
She remembered the funeral. There had been this girl who had broken down in the middle of the ceremony. A fellow Hufflepuff, she believed.  
  
Cho had not cried. Not a single tear. The last thing that she had wanted to show was weakness or desperation.  
  
Crying did not bring Cedric back to life, nor did it help anybody.  
  
A lot of people had told her that crying would make her feel better. But it didn't. She had tried it once, some days after his death. It had just given her a headache and she had felt even emptier than before. And lost. So lost.  
  
After that, she had always pulled herself together and had not cried again. This gave her the comfort she needed and she was able to control herself.  
  
Cho concentrated on the first years again. His name was announced now.  
  
Ravenclaw. This sounded wrong. He could not be a Ravenclaw. Cho was sure about that. He had to be a Hufflepuff with this face. The face that belonged to Cedric. Seeing another one made her heart beat faster.  
  
Her friend nudged her. Cho turned her head towards her and they were looking at each other for a moment without saying a word. Then both of them smiled and started to applaude as the next student had just been sorted into Ravenclaw as well.  
  
He went off the stool and nearly ran towards his House Table, therefore almost catching up with Julius.  
  
Cho watched them sitting down next to each other and they started talking. But she also noticed how she was not the only one observing Julius. A lot of students were.  
  
And not only him.  
  
She saw some of them looking at Julius, then looking at her and then looking at Julius again.  
  
Cho concentrated on the Sorting Ceremony once more and tried not to look at Julius too often. She did not want to look at him at all but the similarity between the both of them was fascinating her and she felt like being forced to do it.  
  
However, Cho made sure never to start direct eye contact.  
  
***  
  
The following weeks Cho kept running into Julius.  
  
Sometimes, she even thought it was Cedric himself walking around a corner.  
  
Julius was tall for his age. That made him look even more like Cedric, although the latter would be five years older.  
  
***  
  
Cho enjoyed studying even more this year. For one, looking into a pile of books and her notes kept her from seeing Julius - who did not spend too much time in the Common Room anyway - but it also gave her a reason to get away from her friends for a while.  
  
They all did not know how to behave towards her. Nobody said anything about her and Cedric, and Cho could not decide if it made her angry or just sadder. It was one thing when one just did not want to talk about it, but a completely different thing if the topic was simply avoided.  
  
That's what her friends had been doing all the time. She knew that they were insecure about which behaviour was the best and thus, had decided that avoiding everything about it was the best for everyone.  
  
Cho knew that she did not want to talk about it anyway. However, she also did not want to avoid it either. It led to many moments of tense silence between her and her friends.  
  
Cho was sure that the others had more fun without her when they did not have to think about what to say next. And she felt a lot more comfortable being on her own from time to time.  
  
Today was such a day. Cho was sitting at a table, alone, studying.  
  
She just looked up from her Potions book when she saw another book on the table she had not noticed before. This book did not belong to her. Someone must have forgotten it. She remembered having a book like that in her first year at Hogwarts and opened it to see whom it belonged.  
  
Julius Diggory  
  
Even his handwriting looked like Cedric's.  
  
The letters in front of her started to disappear just like her environment. Her head began to ache again and she decided to lay down on the couch for a bit.  
  
After a few minutes she heard someone entering the Common Room. The person was coming towards her but she kept her eyes closed. She still felt dizzy.  
  
When the person's footsteps stopped, she opened her eyes and saw him. He had already turned around again to leave.  
  
"Julius."  
  
That was her voice although it sounded as if it was coming from far away.  
  
She got up and took his book from the table.  
  
Her heart now beat as fast as it had never beaten before. Not even during her most exciting Quidditch match.  
  
"It hurts so much to see you."  
  
That was again her voice, but had she really said that? It was certainly true. Every little memory about Cedric hurt. But Julius did not awake little memories. He made her head spin around and turn everything upside down. Her heart jumped hastily and it truly hurt physically.  
  
She left the Common Room without saying anything else to him.  
  
What was there left to say anyway? He certainly knew what he looked like.  
  
Cho just wondered if he felt like her when he looked into the mirror. Or was he simply used to it?  
  
***  
  
After this incident in the Common Room, Cho never spoke to Julius again. She also did not tell him she was sorry for what she had said as she had planned to do at first. Saying that would not have been right as she had merely told him the truth.  
  
And Julius was obviously able to handle it. At least, he did not appear any differently now.  
  
***  
  
When she really wanted to get distraction, Cho took her broom and practiced flying on the Quidditch Field.  
  
Especially on days like this, there was nobody outside. It was only her and the wind.  
  
Getting some training in these weather conditions was good. Harry was definitely a very talented Seeker and a serious rival. She had not had that much time to practice during the summer break and used every free minute she had now to do that. This year, she wanted Ravenclaw to win the Quidditch Cup.  
  
It had just started to rain when she was aiming up into the sky with her broom. She decided to take a break and just look at the castle from her position. It was a beautiful sight.  
  
Then she heard someone scream. She could not make out where it had come from and looked at every direction until she saw a student slowly walking towards the castle. She was not sure if she knew the girl and she decided to only observe what was going on.  
  
Apparently, nothing was wrong with her as she just continued walking towards the castle. Cho waited until the girl was out of sight and then landed back on the ground and returned to the castle as well.  
  
She had just entered it when she was almost run over by a panicking first year. It was hard to make him speak but finally he said what had happened.  
  
Harry Potter had been killed by You-Know-Who.  
  
Cho told the boy to get to his Common Room as fast as possible and started to walk to hers as well.  
  
She saw the girl again she had just seen outside. It was easy to recognize her as the two of them were the only ones having wet robes. The girl was walking through a hallway in front of her. Cho followed her. There was something strange about the girl.  
  
Julius came from the opposite direction of the hallway.  
  
Where did he want to go?  
  
She looked at the hallway and saw that she was walking into the opposite direction of her own Common Room. This hallway led to the one of the Hufflepuffs.  
  
With a last glance at the wet girl, she turned around and headed to her own Common Room only hoping that the students being in there were calmer than the ones in the hallways or had at least some more information.  
  
Cho saw Julius walking straight towards his dorm, ignoring the others who were not even a bit calmer than the students in the halls. Her head began to ache again and Cho decided to sit down on the couch in the corner of the room. She did not want to believe that it had been You-Know-Who who had murdered Harry. 


	4. Loyalty 04

The Hogwarts Express had left platform 9 ¾ and was now on its way to the school. Hannah was sitting in a compartment with some of her fellow Hufflepuffs. They were discussing the latest news about Quidditch. Apparently, the others had found a way to cope with Cedric's death or avoid thinking about it. But a lot of them had not known him that well.  
  
Hannah looked at Susan who was sitting opposite of her. They were the only ones not talking.  
  
Her memory about the funeral was still vivid. A lot of the details were blurry, though, while others were still so clear that she thought when she opened her eyes again, it would all be there in reality.  
  
His mother was sitting on a white folding chair throughout the whole ceremony. She had hidden her eyes behind a black veil.   
  
Cho was there as well. She could not make out what Cho was feeling at this moment. Her face did not show any emotions. At first, it seemed to her as if she did not care. But she knew how much they had liked each other - Cedric and Cho. And after some time, she saw that a few tears were rolling down on her face as well.  
  
Cedric had been popular and he had had a lot of friends, all of whom were now here to say goodbye. She knew that his family had wanted to have a private little ceremony with only the closest relatives and friends around, but in the end, they had agreed to have everyone who had wanted to come.  
  
She had not spoken much with Cedric during the last year, his last year. But she had known him a lot better than most of the people here. His father had seen her at the beginning of the funeral and had even tried to give her a smile.  
  
It had been raining all day long when in the middle of the ceremony the sun had started to shine. She turned her head around, searching for the rainbow. And there it was, beautiful as always.   
  
The next thing she remembered was some friends trying to help her up again. She must have broken down. Not many people had noticed it. But for a brief moment, she felt Cho's eyes upon her.  
  
"But if they don't get another Seeker, they will not have a winning chance. Their Chasers are just mediocre!", Ernie exclaimed. "They can do whatever they want, they'll never beat the Montrose Magpies", Justin added.  
  
They were still talking about Quidditch and their conversation slowly became hot tempered. Everyone had what they felt were the best suggestions for their favourite teams to become better.  
  
She looked at the friend opposite of her and they exchanged weak smiles.  
  
The scenery outside seemed to be flying by. It would not take much longer, soon they would be back at Hogwarts.  
  
She wondered what it would be like to be back. What it would be like to be in their Common Room again and if anything would change or if everybody would just continue living like they had done before.  
  
*  
  
The Sorting Ceremony - she had always loved it. All those older brothers and sisters sitting there, pride being mirrored in their eyes when their younger siblings entered the Great Hall and finally became a part of Hogwarts. Disappointment when they did not end up in the same house and even more pride when they did.  
  
"Julius!"  
  
She could not believe he was really here. After all that had happened, she had forgotten that he was to start his education at Hogwarts this year, but she also could not believe his parents had allowed him to even come. It had been some time since she had last seen him. He had grown during this summer and now looked even more like Cedric.  
  
He turned his head towards her and while smiling at each other, he lifted his arm and waved at her. This made her a bit happier. He still knew who she was.  
  
However, he looked out of place here. And she had noticed how everyone was practically staring at him. Just like a gauntlet, she thought.  
  
When Julius was sorted into Ravenclaw, she let out a relieved sigh. She really liked that boy but the mere thought of having him in her House and having to see him even more often made her sad. He looked too much like Cedric. She wanted to remember Cedric just like he had been and not like that guy who looked so much like Julius.  
  
*  
  
Professor Sprout had informed them that the security spells at Hogwarts had been increased for this year. There were a lot of new rules now that were on their message boards in the Common Rooms.  
  
Apparently, some of the teachers thought that none of the students should be allowed to go to Hogsmeade but Professor Dumbledore had not announced anything about that yet.  
  
She would have liked going to Hogsmeade. Actually, she would have liked everything that would have distracted her a bit more. The whole Common Room reminded her so much of Cedric. It would not have surprised her if he had come out of the boys dorm now. But he did not. And he would never be in here again.  
  
She was silent these days. Everyone accepted it more or less and she was left alone when she asked for it. She could not talk about her feelings. Most of the time, she either found something to distract herself or went somewhere she could be alone.  
  
In the beginning, it had been rather difficult to really find a quiet place, but now she had found one she regularly visited. It was nice to just sit there in front of the window, look outside and maybe observe what other students were doing outside. It was one of the more or less abandoned hallways.  
  
Looking into the grey sky, the memory of the funeral became vivid again. However, the memory of him the summer before his death was so strong that it became almost unbearable for her. In those moments, she searched for solitude. And in those moments, he came back.  
  
She closed her eyes.  
  
The sun was shining, and gently touching her skin while the slight summer breeze played with her hair. He was standing behind her and carefully embraced her. The sky was bright azure covered by a few clouds. She took his right hand and gave it a gentle kiss while they were standing on a small hill and looked down to the village. Everything looked very small from this point but also rather peaceful. No disturbing noises reached their ears. All they could hear were the birds singing and chirping in the nearby trees and the humming of little bumble-bees searching for lush flowers.  
  
She did not know how long they had already been standing there. His head was resting slightly on her left shoulder and she felt his warm breath.  
  
Even when it had started raining, they did not move. The sun was still giving them enough warmth. She could not remember the last time she had felt that comfortable.  
  
This summer had been the best she had ever had so far and her only wish at that moment was that time would stand still, if only for a little bit longer.  
  
They had been seeing each other for almost the whole summer break now. Usually, they talked a lot about everything - classes, their friends, what they thought their future to be like. Today, they had decided for a picnic up on this hill.  
  
"Look!", Cedric pointed to a place in the sky.  
  
A rainbow had appeared and they were both watching it, still saying nothing.  
  
"I think I will always connect rainbows with this moment now", he told her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
  
They watched the rain stop and in the end, the rainbow had disappeared... and their relationship had ended not long after that.   
  
It just was not meant to be, she thought. And she had never been angry at him. It was for the best of both of them and they had been able to stay friends throughout the year after that summer. Although, of course, they had not spoken much to each other anymore.  
  
Her eyes were teary when she opened them again. If she did not want to worry her house mates, she had to get back to her Common Room now. Slowly, she let the memory of that afternoon fade away and got up.  
  
Turning around a corner, reality hit her like a lightning bolt. Stunned, she stood there and looked at the students. A lot of them were standing together in groups, speaking almost hysterically. Others were running - where to, she could not see. Some prefects tried to get their students into their Common Rooms. She could not see a teacher from where she was standing.  
  
After a few moments, she went to one of the Prefects.  
  
"What happened?" She asked with a trembling voice.  
  
"Harry Potter was killed. I can't tell you anything else at the moment. Just go into your Common Room."  
  
Susan was shocked. At first, she could not move at all and just stared at the scenery around her. Finally, she started walking, slowly first, then becoming faster.  
  
On her way to the Common Room, she saw Julius again and stopped once more. In these few months they had been here at Hogwarts now, she had not seen him often and she was thankful for that. At first, she had been worried that Julius might try to talk to her and she would not have been able to cope with that. But fortunately, he had not done anything like that. She had seen him talk with other students from his own year, but older students, students who had known Cedric, generally avoided Julius.  
  
He had looked at her, which meant that he had seen her. But his face had not shown the slightest emotion.  
  
He must have heard it. Everyone has heard it by now. And where did he go to? She looked at the hallways and came to the conclusion that he was probably about to go to his own Common Room. By now, she felt that she was slightly trembling and she just wanted to reach her Common Room now.  
  
Turning around another corner, she saw a girl at the far end of the hallway. Something was wrong with her. Her footsteps were not at all secure, she was lurching and in the next moment, she had collapsed.  
  
Coming closer, she realized who it was and started to run until she had reached her. She bent down right next to her.  
  
"Hannah, what's wrong?"  
  
"Susan... did you hear...?"  
  
Susan nodded and held her hand. "I'm going to get someone, okay?"  
  
Hannah tried to shake her head, then closed her eyes and opened them again a few moments later.  
  
"Please stay, Susan. I need to tell you something. You're my best friend and I know I can trust you. I have to tell someone..."  
  
Susan's eyes widened and her whole body was tense now. Hannah fidgeted a bit and Susan noticed that her grasp around Hannah's hand had become too strong. Loosening it a bit, she carefully removed Hannah's wet hair out of her face with her other hand and prepared for whatever might come now.  
  
Hannah's voice was very quiet but clear.  
  
"I did it. I killed Harry Potter."  
  
Susan stared at Hannah. Her best friend? Images of the little girl with the red face and the pigtails sprang to her mind. Hannah as she had been when they got to know each other in their first year. Little Hannah who was always cheerful and could make everyone laugh?  
  
She turned her head away from Hannah. In all those years at Hogwarts, they had been best friends and they knew each other inside out. And yet looking into Hannah's eyes, Susan knew she was not lying. But there was more in those eyes. It was fear and despair. Now that she had told Susan, it was up to her what to do with the knowledge. She was now at Susan's mercy.  
  
Behind them, Susan could hear footsteps. She turned her head towards the sounds and then looked up at the figure coming towards them. It was Albus Dumbledore. When he had reached them, he kneeled next to Susan and looked at Hannah who had closed her eyes, then looked back at Susan with a questioning look.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
A thousand different answers ran through Susan's head now. What exactly did Professor Dumbledore already know?  
  
Susan slowly opened her mouth, preparing herself to answer his question. 


End file.
